Beira was one of the six traditional provinces or "comarcas" of Portugal. In the early 19th century Beira was divided into three provinces : Beira Alta (Guarda) and Beira Baixa (Castelo Branco) did constitute Beira Interior. The area was settled by the Lusitanians : in Beira they stayed until they defeated the Celts and other tribes, then they expanded up to the Tagus middle valley (current Spanish Extremadura), before being conquered by the Romans.
Engravings were discovered in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, in northeastern Portugal. The site in situated in the valley of the Côa river, and comprises thousands of engraved drawings of horses, bovines and other animal, human and abstract figures, dated from 22,000 to 10,000 years BCE.
Sample :
Brief anthropological analysis :
- Type 1 : Dark complexion, brachymorphic, broad face, round features, thick browridges , short broad nose, wide-spaced sloping eyes
~ Alpinoid/Berid
http://anthroeurope.blogspot.ru/search/label/Portugal%20%3A%20Centro
Engravings were discovered in Vila Nova de Foz Côa, in northeastern Portugal. The site in situated in the valley of the Côa river, and comprises thousands of engraved drawings of horses, bovines and other animal, human and abstract figures, dated from 22,000 to 10,000 years BCE.
Brief anthropological analysis :
- Type 1 : Dark complexion, brachymorphic, broad face, round features, thick browridges , short broad nose, wide-spaced sloping eyes
~ Alpinoid/Berid
This type was previously identified in Spanish Extremadura (Cáceres) and neighbouring Trás-os-Montes. Variants do exist (convex nose, broader features, ...) which can be transitional with Type 2.
- Type 2 : Dark complexion, leptomorphic, triangular - somehow "horsy" - face, long and narrow nose, large jaw, close-set eyes
~ Dinaricized Mediterranean
This is the quintessential Iberian type which is quite widespread throughout the whole Peninsula. However, very light and "British-looking" individuals are not present in that sample contrary to Northern Portugal.
Eventually, more classical Mediterranean phenotypes are detected :
- Type 2 : Dark complexion, leptomorphic, triangular - somehow "horsy" - face, long and narrow nose, large jaw, close-set eyes
~ Dinaricized Mediterranean
This is the quintessential Iberian type which is quite widespread throughout the whole Peninsula. However, very light and "British-looking" individuals are not present in that sample contrary to Northern Portugal.Eventually, more classical Mediterranean phenotypes are detected :
- Final morphotypes :
